I'd like a side of crack with that

I've apparently chosen to take up the most un-hip craft out there. Yes, crafts can be ranked by cool factor. I can confidently report that knitting is currently king. Scrapbooking, beading, quilting and sewing are acceptable crafts but cross stitch is beyond lame if today is any indication.

I decided to fit in a couple of needle work shops between errands today. I walked into the first shop and immediately got a great feeling. About 20 women were sitting at two large tables knitting and doing needle point while loudly jabbering away. At first glance the shop was cute and had lots of great things so I was encouraged. After looking around for a while I couldn't find any cross stitch patterns or supplies. When I asked a clerk for the cross stitching section she disdainfully replied "OH... we don't carry any cross stitch." I am not exaggerating when I tell you she couldn't have looked more disgusted if I'd asked for a penis pattern or heroin. Talk about a buzz kill.

The next stop was a nightmare because I chose the one weekend in the year that main street shuts down for an annoying arts and crafts fair. Oh, and did I mention it was about 95 degrees outside? Well, I parked several blocks away but only had enough change for 35 minutes on the meter. I knew I needed more time but figured I'd stop in for a few minutes and come back some other time. This store had a good amount of cross stitching supplies but when I asked a few questions I was told the owner only had a few "hard core stitchers" and that she stopped stocking lots of items because "it's just not that popular". Oy! I thought I'd left the days of feeling like a dorky loser behind in early childhood. These craft divas are brutal!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not letting the snooty girls get me down. I now plan to scour the web and swap meets for as much cross stitch info as possible. If you see anything out there please let me know. Oh, and whatever you do, don't mention cross stitch in a crafts store.